Alice and the Queen

              “Alright, Alice, I’ve got the location of the Catepillar, and he’s moving towards you fast. Get going, kid. March hare, out.” The scratchy voice in my ear is dead as quickly as it turned on. I hold my gun closer to my chest and breathe out my nervous energy. Keep your eye on the target and remember to survive. The phrase goes through my head, as it always does when I’m waiting to attack or be attacked.

                “Alice! Get your rear in gear, kid! You don’t have time to day dream today. Catepillar is heading your way with the package. And don’t forget- if you run into the Hatter, shoot him down. He’s the one that leaked our information to the White Rabbit,” March Hare growls, putting me on edge. I love these drills- they get the adrenaline going. I start to move forward, the fallen leaves cushioning some of my steps while announcing others with a crunch. As I approach the drop off point, I conceal myself under a bush and listen for the Catepillar’s heavy foot fall. A few minutes of scanning the ground, and keeping my ears open, I hear the snapping of twigs, my signal686. Two quick snaps followed by a short pause before a single snap. Just to be sure, because I have been tricked before, I scanned between the leaves for the face that matches my team mates. Perfect. I roll out from under the bush and jump up, holding my gun defensively.

                “Alice. Take this and get it to the Cat. She’ll know what to do with it,” He mutters while handing me a small envelope. I take it and secure it in my thigh bag before scanning our surroundings and moving quickly and quietly toward the control tower, careful to avoid fallen branches, above ground roots and crunchy looking leaves. When the tower is within view, I hide behind a bush and wait for the attack I know should be coming.

                “Dodo, I hear something,” Dormouse says in a hushed tone. If it hadn’t been for the arguing, which came in the form of comprehendible words and grunts in disagreement, I wouldn’t have known it was him and Dodo.

                I raise my gun, rustling the bushes a little, and take my aim at Dormouse’s chest before squeezing the trigger. Pop! Pow! Blue paint explodes across Dor’s vest, and he takes a theatrical fall into a heap on the ground. Dodo pulls his gun up to fire but, but he’s too late. Pop! Splat! Just as it had with Dor, blue paint smacked Dodo on his vest, and he simply sat on the ground. I popped up from behind the bush and smiled at them.

                “Come on now, Dodo. That’s no fun at all. At least Mouse had some fun with it!” Dodo simply smiled back at me, while Dormouse kept his eyes shut.

                “Just go about your mission, Alice. I believe you’ve got something for Chesire. Make haste before someone gets you.” Dormouse warned me, stretching out on the grass. I step through the bushes and take off running toward the control tower, my gun held in the low and ready position. Reaching the base, I throw the small cellar door open that leads into the tower and climb up the tiny metal ladder to the top. How Chesire does this every day, I’ll never understand. It’s such a pain. A minute or so later, I hoist myself up onto the floor and look around quickly. The room is almost black, lit only by the large computer monitors in front of me. Sitting in front of the screens and typing away at an incredible speed is the Cat.

                “Cat, I have a package for you from the Catepillar,” I murmur, determined not to break her concentration. These may be mock-missions for the rest of us, but Chesire never stops working on her computers except to eat. Sometimes she doesn’t even sleep for days just to crack something.

                That’s when I hear it- a soft thud across the room. Whipping around, I see Ches tied and gagged, banging her arm against the wall. Spinning back towards the wall of computers, I see the figure rising from Chesire Cat’s chair: Our Red Queen, in the flesh. She raises her gun at me and grins.

                “Hello, my dear. It was simply too kind of you to bring me new information. Now… Off with your head!” She screams, shooting at me. I dive out of the way and return fire, both of us missing each other, running around the room, and having too much fun to be professional for about ten minutes. Chesire Cat has untied herself and we’re all giving each other pointers before I realize I’m on my last paintball. The alarm in my eyes must have been obvious because the Queen starts laughing, taking aim at my chest. Oh, hell no. I raise my own gun and we both fire at the same time. Red stains my vest as blue splatters across hers. Ches is the first to start laughing at our draw and soon the three of us are giggling messes, only stopping when a deep voice rumbles from behind me.

                “Well, Alice, looks like you’ve successfully gotten yourself killed. Glad to see my youngest recruit laughing about her death. Even Alex and Brody take these drills more seriously,” Arthur says, standing at the edge of the exit hole. Arthur is the head of the Society, and deserves to be there. He’s honestly a great guy, but takes his line of work more seriously than anyone could ever. Red comes up beside me and drapes her arm around my shoulders, grinning like crazy.

                “She put up quite a fight, sir. And it was a draw. She took me down as well as I took her down. Hell, this is the first time any of us have gotten to kill the little twerp. Cut her some slack. She’s just a kid, after all.”

                “Just a kid? I am not just a kid. I am a member of this Organization, and no kid can claim that,” I state firmly, a little exasperated by the insult. Arthur’s mouth twitches upward slightly, and it’s obvious he’s suppressing a smile. Ches stands next to us and stretches.

                “Man, Red, you sure know how to tie a person up. My arms are going to be sore for a week,” She yawns, looking ready for a nap. Her code name is perfect, she’s so cat like normally.

                Arthur hands each of us a manila envelope. “Go back to your bunks. Eat, sleep, and be prepared to move out tomorrow. We start tracking the real Queen bright and early.” He turns and just jumps down the hole, leaving the three of us listening for the soft thud of his landing.

                Red scrambles to the hole and yells down, “Are you okay?” A grunt followed by footsteps leaving the door floats up as a reply. The three of us giggle before climbing down the ladder single file. As we walk across out training grounds, I see Dodo texting on his phone (probably his sweetheart, a nurse that works in our hospital) and Dormouse dissembling and packing their guns away. I smile and wave at them, and wait when Mouse motions me to. He walks over and smiles back, patting me on the head.

                “Did you complete the mission?” He asks as we start walking back to our secret entrance.

                “Eh, I managed to get myself killed. But I killed Red at the same time, so I don’t think it was a total loss,” I smile up at him. “Did you and Dodo have to do anything except guard the tower?”

                “Nope, not today. Did our argument tip you off to our location?” He laughs, and then adds, “We’re always being told to be quieter, but it’s hard when your twin brother doesn’t quite have his mind on his work.” He puts a little emphasis on ‘work’ and winks, obviously inferring Dodo had his mind on his girlfriend.

                “Mouse… It doesn’t get easier for him, does it? Isn’t there something we can do? Hell, we’re always making crazy medical advancements! Can’t they repair his throat?”

                “Oh, little Alice, such a curious girl. I’ve been trying. Dodo has been trying. Everyone on the team has been trying to talk Arthur to spare a couple scientists to help my brother. Arthur says it’s not vital to any mission, that Dodo is just as strong a fighter as any of us without his voice. He says it’s not high priority. I say it’s bullshit. I sympathize with him, my brother, I truly do. But he’s got Mia, and she’s great for him. She’s teaching him sign language, did you know that?” Dor’s tone held something close to hope in it. We fall into silence and continue walking. The chilled air cools my heated skin as I think about my team mate.

                 “How did it happen?” I ask again. Dormouse sighs and lowers his eyes to the ground.

                “Maybe I’ll tell you one day. But now is not the time,” he pats my head a bit and I sigh.

                After walking a few minutes in silence, we come across Catepillar, who is sitting under a tree, rubbing his legs and seeming to enjoy the quiet of the evening. In the distance, I heard birds chirp and think about how they’re going to be gone soon. We might be in the tail end of fall, but today was particularly warm and allowed for some really good outdoor training. Dormouse notices our team mate and nudges me, motioning to Catepillar. I smile, and we make our way over to him. He glances up at us quickly, and then looks back down.

                “Get out of here, kid. Go read a book or something. Dormouse, could you hang back and help me?” He mutters, not even bothering to look at me as he insults me. He starts to stand, reaching for Dormouse, but I grab his arm instead and pull him to his feet. He grumbles slightly and glares a bit. “Didn’t I tell you to get out of here?” He growls.

                My blood boils a bit. I can’t believe I’m being insulted by this guy. His personality can just be nerve-grating. “First of all, sir, I’m not a kid. Secondly, I’m just as capable of pulling my weight and more around here as anyone else. So before you go about insulting me, at least have the decency to look me in the eye when you do.” Before he can answer, I turn and march away, not wanting to let him have any word in. Was it childish? Yes. Should I care that much about what he said? No, but I do. I just can’t get past the fact that everyone here thinks I’m not capable of doing what I need to do, even though I got onto the Wonderland Squad before any of the other recruits that I came in with were even completely processed in. I’ve shown that I can handle myself, and that I do it well, but they still discredit me so much. It just hurts my ego.

                Heading back inside, I return my gun, ammo, and vest to the storage room before walking to my room. The Organization is so small that it is actually possible for everyone to have their own room, or live with another person. While I’m currently living in a double, I’m the only one here, because the five other recruits from this lot were males. I’m not complaining, though- I like the solitude. It gives me a chance to escape if I need to. I swing my door open, my anger completely gone, and switch on the lights and some music. I stare at the packet in my hand and bite my lip. Apprehension had been building in my stomach about its contents, but a wave of it just hit. I know what’s in it- I’ve seen these handed out often, and have received a few minor ones myself: It’s my mission. My first real mission. Judging by the weight, I’d say it’s a big one. It’s all a matter of details.

                I know what’s inside before I even open the packet. It’s a mission about the Queen. They’ve had me on so many mock drills these days involving the Wonderland Squad. I’m still confused as to why they picked that particular story to base all this off of, and as to why I had to be their Alice. Red and Aurora, a woman who has been in for 5 years longer than I have, would have worked just as well. They need Chesire Cat for her computer skills, and from what they told me during processing, Alice is needed for front line work and to lead them to victory. I don’t think Arthur really understands what those words still mean to me, even after two years.

                Enough beating around the bush. You know you’re going to have to open it, so just do it now. Nothing is going to soften any blow or any feelings of apprehension, I tell myself while gripping the edge of the envelope. The tearing of the paper rips through the questions and feelings in my mind and causes me to catch my breath, almost dreading what I’m going to see. I’ve been on plenty of missions, and a couple of them were dangerous, but never life threatening dangerous. My team was never in serious peril, just a little snag here or there. But this… This mission will change everything.

                Sitting on my bed, I pour over the papers and soak up every word like it is life itself. Details upon details of instructions wash over my brain. Starting tomorrow, bright and early, I’ll be heading out into the unknown, and fighting for my life. If the stories are true, I could be fighting for my sanity at some point. My brain wanders slowly to some of the darker stories I’ve been told, and about a certain man in particular who could flip the tables faster than I could draw my gun. After reading the instructions twice, I set the papers down and lean against my pillows. The fear in my stomach and brain has started to boil over and decide that right now, being alone isn’t my best option. Getting ghost chills, I get out of bed and grab my jacket and shoes. I wonder what the others are up to.

                As I’m wondering down the halls, getting lost in my head, I vaguely hear my name being called. My feet stop on their own accord and my head snaps around and my eyes land on Aurora. She’s standing in her door way and I spy Ches sitting on her bed.

                “Hey, kid, whatcha doin’ wanderin’ around?” She implores, beckoning me into her room. I grin and follow, welcoming the distraction.

                “Just looking for someone to sit and talk to, I guess. I was going to see if anyone was milling around the dining room, but I guess you two nerds will do,” I joke, dodging as Aurora reaches out to hit my arm.

                “I can’t believe you’d be so rude, kid! And here I was, all set to give ya somethin’ special,” she sits on her bed and crosses her arm, Ches looking bored with our exchange.

                “Jeez, if you two are gonna fight, at least make it interesting,” she huffs, rolling over to face the wall. Aurora rolls her eyes and springs up, bouncing over to her open closet door. She pulls out a black leather jacket and looks at it lovingly before turning back to me.

                “This thing has brought me a lot of luck. I know superstitions are dumb, but I’ve never come back with more than a concussion when I’ve worn this on missions. You’re a good kid, Alice. You’ve got so much potential. And even if it has been just dumb luck for me, well, I hope it brings you the same dumb luck.”

                “I’ll be fine, Aurora. Don’t worry. I’m tough, strong, and I know what I’m doing. Plus, who would want to hurt cute, adorable, innocent me?” I giggle and bat my eyes at her, dying for this somber tension to be broken. There’s going to be enough of that in the days to come, and for now I want to live in a dream. She simply smiles back and shakes her head, before squeezing my shoulder. “Just come back alive, ya hear?”

                “Jeez, Aurora, you never give me heart felt good byes. I thought you were just cold hearted,” Ches purrs, sticking her tongue out at us but I can see the tears starting to collect at the bottom of her eyes. She sits up and pulls herself off the bed, stretching before slinking over to us and pulling us into a tight hug. I jump slightly, since Ches isn’t ever that affectionate with people, but wrap one arm her and the other around Aurora. As we stand, I can hear the sound of her lips moving and an almost inaudible whisper tumbling out of them. Funny, I’ve never known Ches to pray.

                As I leave to go back to my own room, feeling of loneliness and fear start to consume me. I’ve spent my entire life in strange places, always moving, but this feels so much more painful. I’ve found a place that I can truly call home, and I may never see it again. Shaking my head, I resolve to not think about it. You can’t sike yourself out like this, girl. You’ve gotta keep a clear head. To distract myself, I turn on some music and pick up a book, but neither help ease the tension. Sighing, I set my alarm and climb into bed and fall into a surprising peaceful sleep, considering what I’ll be doing in the morning.

                I wake up to my alarm screaming at me. Groaning in detest, I shut it off and sit up, stretching, and let my mind wander to what needs to be done before today.

                I need to get my weapon, and meet everyone for breakfast and all that great stuff. Ugh, I need to shower… I let my brain ramble on as I shower and do my morning routine, all the while thinking when I’ll be back in my room next. Sighing, I throw on some jeans and a black tank top when I hear a knock at my door.

                “Coming,” I shout, before scurrying over and opening the door. Red is standing there, grinning and holding a brown paper bag. “I brought you some luck!” She sings, stepping inside my room and thrusting the bag into my hands. I laugh and open it, pulling out a black gun. I recognize it as one of her favorite gun, the only gun she ever uses, and look up at her quickly.

                “Red, you can’t be serious! This is your-“

                “I know what it is, Alice. They’re… They’re making me sit this one out…” She mutters the last part. She touches the flesh over her heart tenderly, and I frown slightly. She found out last week that a tumor was growing on her lymph nodes. I guess they can’t protect us from everything while we’re here… “It’s brought me a lot of luck on other missions. I want you to take it and use it, so that you’ll have just as much luck. I want you to come back, Alice. And I want you to take that gun and shoot the Bloody Red Queen right in the heart for all she’s done.” Her words hang heavy between us for a minute, the seriousness of this mission mounting. Suddenly, she pulls me into a hug, mumbles something about breakfast and leaves.

                Staring at the door and staring down at the heavy gun in my hand, disbelief wraps around my mind, followed by more reality. Breathing out slowly, I pull Aurora’s jacket on and fish out some sturdy boots before throwing my hair up in a ponytail. I strap Red’s gun into a holster at my hip and grab my backpack, throwing it over my shoulders before taking one last look around my room and heading out the door. I make my way slowly to the dining hall, staring at the ground while my mind gets lost in thoughts of what’s to come. Suddenly, I knock into something. No, not something. This was someone. I look up, an apology already forming on my lips when I get a good look at this someone’s features. Grey hair, bright blue eyes, and a smile that doesn’t seem to hold the most sanity within it.

                “H-Hatter… What are you doing here? March Hare… MARCH HARE!” I start screaming for help when the Hatter shoves me to the wall, clamping his hand over my mouth. I feel the width of a cold knife press against my neck and force myself to calm down so I don’t get sliced open. The calm, sadistic look in his eyes lets me know he’s not afraid to use it, but also something else. It almost looked like regret. It seems that he doesn’t want to be doing this.

                “Hello, Alice, dear. How have you been? I’ve been quite mad myself,” He chuckles at his own joke, but quickly turns serious again. “Now, I’m going to tell you something, and this is the only way I would be able to tell you. Be careful out there. You have no idea who the Red Queen really is, or what she’s capable, but I do. Just be careful. Now, I’m going to take my hand away. Do not scream, or yell, or shout, or anything to attract more attention than needs to be. We both know they’ve got those cameras on us, and they’ve probably already dispatched someone. Just make sure you know wrong from right when you get out there. Good luck, Alice.” With that, he pulls his blade away, just as a familiar footfall comes running around the corner.

                “Let her go!” I hear Catepillar shout. I look over at him before Hatter drops his knife and runs off down the hallway. I look after him, confused by his words, and jump slightly when Catepillar puts his hand on my shoulder.

                “Are you okay? He didn’t actually hurt you, did he?” He asks, checking my neck.

                “Yeah, I’m fine. He just… he just scared me a bit…” I mumble as I pick up the knife. The knife has an eccentric looking hat carved into the handle, and the blade is an iridescent purple. I fold it up, stick it in the pocket of Aurora’s jacket, and look back at Catepillar, and frown at the look he’s giving me. “What?” I ask.

                “You’re going to keep it?” He asks skeptically, and then holds his hand out like he’s expecting me to comply and hand it over. I shake my head slightly, furrowing my brow.

                “Yes, I’m keeping it. Catepillar… Mad Hatter told me something…”

                “Told you what?”

                I pause for a moment, mulling over what just happened. “He told me to be safe out there. Look, we need to get going. Let’s go get breakfast,” I mumble, heading back down the hallway. Catepillar follows close behind me, and I can feel him watching me. I sigh inwardly and push the door open to the dining hall. Sitting next to Red, March Hare gives us a briefing about the mission itself: where we’ll be, what each of our individual goals are, and who the target is this time. I give Catepillar a look that says are you going to tell them? He shakes his head slightly before turning back to his plate. March Hare asks me if I read my packet.

                “Of course I read it. My specific targets are the Dodo and the Lizard,” I inform him as he hands me our most recent pictures of them. I study their faces, taking everything in, wishing I had voices to match. I prefer to go off voices instead of faces, because you don’t have to worry about being able to see someone if you’re hiding.

                March Hare finishes our briefing, and we all go to leave the dining hall and I check my backpack one last time, and realize I’m missing something. Racing back to my room, I open the door, throw the door to my closet open, and pull out two black boxes. One contains my favorite gun, the hand gun I was issued when I got here, and the other contains plenty of bullets for it. I load as many as I can into the three magazines I have, then put the rest back and make sure the safety is on before tucking it into my second holster and running back to the dining hall to pack up the last of my things.

                March Hare leads us out the of the Organization’s main building and to our aviation area. Dormouse and Dodo are surprisingly quiet, as is Chesire Cat. She’d usually be cracking jokes about the Bloody Red Queen. As for Catepillar, well, he was always quiet. We board a helicopter and once we’re all harnessed in, it takes off. It’s the quietest thing to fly in the air since a kite. As we get further and further away from my home, my sanctuary, the anxiety starts to set in- badly. This is my first real mission. It’s got real guns and real pain and no do-over’s or anyone telling me how I could do something better the next time around. Oh, god, what if I get separated? If I get separated, I’ll be on my own. Can I do this? Should they trust me this much? I guess Dor can see the tension and fear in my eyes because he leans closer to me from across the aisle.

                “Hey, Alice. Look at me. You’re going to be fine. There’s no one in the world that can kick a better ass than you,” he reassured me with a smile and I manage a weak smile back. I lean my head against the back of my seat and close my eyes, trying to meditate like Red had taught me. An indefinite amount of time passes and I’m pulled back into the situation at hand when the helicopter suddenly jerks. I snap my eyes open and look at the rest of the Wonderland Squad. They all looked panicked and that’s the only thing I need to see to know we were going off plan.

                The helicopter jerks again and I scramble to unhook myself from my seat as Ches tosses parachutes to everyone. I stand shakily and catch my parachute, almost dropping it. Great, of course my first trip in the helicopter is the time it gets ambushed. I strap into it with shaking fingers and feel the helicopter start to tilt.

                “She’s going down!” Dor screams, prying the door open. Ches grabs his hand and they both jump at the same time. Dodo follows behind shortly after and I look over the edge, seeing their parachutes deploy. We’re falling faster and faster and I feel like I’m barreling down a hole made of metal and air. I look at Catepillar and he grabs my hand, nodding his head.

                “Pull this cord when I do, alright?” He shouts over the wind, pointing at a specific cord. I nod and take a deep breath. “One, two, three!” He jumps and pulls me with him. As we fall, I look for the others and see their parachutes are stuck in trees.

                “Alice, pull your cord,” Catepillar shouted over the wind, reaching for his own cord. I pull mine a few seconds after he does and my body jerks, the parachute catching in the wind and slowing our descent to the unknown. The closer we get to the ground, the louder the shouts for reinforcements become. Catepillar let’s go of my hand and we drift apart. I land in the top of a tree and secure my footing on a branch before detaching myself from the parachute. After looking down through the branches to see if there was anyone directly under me ready to shoot, I shimmy down a few branches before stopping to listen. I can still hear shouting, but it’s a ways off. Probably in the direction of Dormouse, Dodo and Chesire Cat. When I decide it’s safe enough to finish climbing down, I feel for the Mad Hatter’s knife and finish climbing down. I quickly hide under a grouping of bushes once I hit the ground and recall details about Dodo and Lizard. Dodo is good at quick attacks and hand to hand combat, but Lizard is a genius with traps.

                I look to my left and see a tree branch sitting on the ground, I reach for it before recoiling my hand. Hmm… what if it didn’t just fall off the tree? What if it was put there as a trap? I pull out the Hatter’s knife and throw it at the branch, retreating further into the bush. After a few minutes of nothing happening, I slide out as quietly as possible and grab the branch, using it as a guide against any traps. I put the knife back in my pocket and pick the direction I think the helicopter was headed, beginning my walk into the unknown.

                Suddenly, I hear a branch snap and quickly fall to the ground with a quiet thud, rolling under more bushes. They’re so wildly overgrown that they concealed me well.

                “Hey, I hear something,” a rugged voice whispers loudly. I wonder briefly which one of the Red Queen’s henchmen it was before trying to peak at him through the leaves. His face looked as rugged as his voice and was covered in scars with one very long, very jagged one running across his forehead. That must be Dodo. Looks just like his picture.

                “I didn’t hear anything. You’re getting a little old to be doing this. Are you sure your hearing isn’t going bad?” Another voice replies, coming into my view. The voice is younger, and so is the face. He’s taller and leaner than Dodo. I’m going to assume this is Lizard. As slowly and quietly as I can, I reach for my gun, clicking the safety off.

                “You idiot! I’ve been fighting for the Queen much longer than you have. I don’t even know why I got stuck with a conceited idiot like you,” Dodo growls. I peek under the bush and see they had walked a few paces ahead of me while I was getting my gun, but are facing each other, fighting. I see my opportunity to attack and roll out from under the bush, jump up and aim for Dodo’s chest and, if all goes as I expect, Lizard’s chest. I pull the trigger and crack! Riiiip! The bullet tears out of my gun and flies into Dodo’s back before forcing its way out of his chest and right into Lizard’s. Blood is pouring everywhere and I shoot again, making sure they’re dead. I feel myself start to gag as the coppery smell hits my nose and I take off running, fearing someone will be there soon to recover the bodies and track me down. I’m getting farther away, adrenaline keeping my legs pumping when I’m suddenly slammed into a tree. I cry out in pain and slide to the ground, unable to force my body to get up. A hand grabs me by the pony tail and jerks my head up so I’m staring into two bright blue eyes.

                “Ah, hello again, Alice. I see you’ve decided to not take my advice and have been quite careless,” the Mad Hatter purrs as he yanks at my pony tail, making me yelp. “I guess you’re lucky that it’s me that found you and not another guard. Even luckier, I’m going to let you go as soon as you return what is mine.” I reach into my pocket and pull out his knife, shoving it into his open hand. He drops me as soon as I bring my hand back to my side and smiles that not-all-there smile again. “It was good chatting with you, Alice. But I suggest you head out, now. Her guards are coming, you know.” With that, he took out another marble and threw it to the ground, disappearing in another cloud of smoke.

                “Where the hell did they drop us off at? And where the hell are my team mates?” I mutter, standing and taking off into another sprint. I hope I can find them before someone else does.

Rewriting History

            My story does not start with me, but with my ancestors long before me. I do not know if my story is near its end or if it is simply beginning. One never truly knows what their story has in store for them, but what they do know is where their story begins.

            For ages, many thought that there was only life on Earth. Generation after generation they would send out technology – satellites, rovers and eventually artificial intelligence – to explore the surfaces of the various planets in the solar system. With each generation, technology became more advanced and eventually they were able to send people with new forms of technology to areas of the universe that humans from the beginning of space exploration had only dreamt about. It was not long after this time when the humans discovered they had been wrong about being the only intelligent life forces in the whole universe.

            They had never realized just how vast the galaxy was.

            They found life forms in galaxies and on planets. The humans called us “aliens”. To all of us, they were just that: “aliens.” Some that were sent out had only the intent to learn, but not all humans were not as full of compassion. There were many who had set their sight on colonization. Industrialization. Extortion. And just like the history of the Earth, the humans had attempted to colonize.

            Some succeeded in conquering territory.

            Others died trying.

            It was not long before war broke out amongst the races that occupied the galaxies. An arms race had begun not too long before – at least this is what all my history tomes have told me. The humans had learned from various planets how to design better space crafts, better weaponry. They had learned the strengths and weaknesses of the different species of us “aliens” before picking a fight.

            The war raged on for some time – though there are no primary records, ten years is what many of the governing officials support. Few know the exact details as to why an armistice was settled, but there are many who claim it was because a planet’s princess had fallen in love with a high ranking official of the human’s army and convinced him to end the war. Other’s whisper about conspiracies that humans were running out of fuel for their ships, that they were weakening their planet and exhausting its resources. There are others who believe that the human race was declining too quickly and to save their race from extinction, they pulled back.

            I am unsure what exactly I believe, for history is written by not only the winners of the fight, but also by those who make the laws. Long story short: the truth does not matter, only what those at the top wish others to believe.

            After the war was finished, an agreement was made to prevent further problems between species. Each of the surviving planets elected officials to jumpstart a sort of program, calling it the IWPL: Interplanetary War Prevention Legion. As the name suggests, this “program” was to act as a sort of militaristic governing system. Each member was expected to be as lethal and unforgiving as possible. Merciless. The idea was as a human named Theodore Roosevelt had once said: “Speak softly, carry big stick.” To clarify, for those who do not understand, the idea of the IWPL was to basically prevent “misbehavior”, otherwise a member of this group would be sent to “deal with you.” If you behaves, you do not get punished.

            However, like with many large governing bodies, the IWPL was not pure. Corruption eventually wormed its way into the hearts of the higher ranking officers. The select few that ran it eventually began to use their power to obtain better resources for their home planets. Better defenses. There were even those who would seek revenge for personal wrongdoings from the past, sending out their lower ranking officers to settle a grudge between themselves and another.

            It was not long before people began to live in fear of the very body that was meant to inspire peace and safety.

            The corruption of The Legion lead to a group of underlings leaving the ranks – going AWOL was a far better choice than requesting to be relieved of duty. At least, there was a higher chance of survival. I have heard a handful of stories from friends of Legion officers where friends, even family, had requested to be relieved of duty for various reasons – some were mentally insane, some had families to raise, others were simply too old, too broken, to keep being sent out – and were sentenced to death on the spot. The only way out was death, whether it was on the field or off.

            Many who attempted going AWOL were hunted down, but there were some that managed to get away with their lives.

            Those who escaped started their own underground function to protect the innocent people from being wrongfully destroyed. They called themselves The Alliance in hopes that many would accept them as a savior. Sadly, fear instilled by the IWPL ran too deep to be fixed easily.

            The damage would take several generations to heal.

            At first, The Legion hoped to take down The Alliance before it had rooted itself into the system. What The Legion did not expect was for members of The Alliance to fight back equally as hard as The Legion pushed, if not harder. The Alliance was equally trained in various military combats – they taught new members combat styles that ranged across all planets, making them deadlier than members of The Legion.

            What set the two groups apart? The IWPL fought to stay on top; The Alliance fought to survive and protect.

            Some decades after the creation of The Alliance, it seemed that the dust had settled. The Legion continued to fight underground battles with The Alliance, but more people were joining each group’s ranks. More were beginning to side with The Alliance, calling upon them for protection when they feared assassination by some force outside their control. Whether that force be The Legion or some underground third party. The Alliance would accept the contract and protect those who requested it.

            Eventually, as time went on, the original reason for the creation of The Alliance became but a rumor. As I said before, history is written by the men who make the laws, namely, the newly elected officials of the planets and the IWPL.

            The Alliance would forever be an enemy, and in that sense, were meant to be your enemy as well.

            Despite the creation of The Alliance, tragedy still befell innocent lives. You cannot save everyone; that is the way the world seems to work. The Eurphorians, known for their exquisite art and brilliant culture, were driven to their knees by extortion of their resources. No longer were they kindhearted creatures who made beautiful creations, they were rats who were forced to make strange weaponry for their governors. Those who belonged to a race called the Hysorians, known for their white-blonde hair and psychic abilities, were considered a large enough prize that a bounty was placed on each of their heads in the black market. They were hunted down like animals by bounty hunters and criminals seeking a paycheck. There are only a few known survivors – it is said that some of those remaining joined The Alliance. Even my people, the Aurorans, who preferred to remain a neutral planet amidst all the chaos, eventually took on a crazy policy to prevent the sort of corruption they witnessed with each generation.

            My race was generally a peaceful race. Though perhaps that portion of our history is now lost, I have found elders who can recall stories from their grandparents – even their great grandparents, as Aurorans have a longer life span than that of humans – about times of peace.

            Aurorans normally chose to be neutral in times of war. After participating in the war between the Earth and the other galaxies and witnessing what was becoming of the Hysorian race, my people came together and decided to become peaceful, in hopes our race would succumb to a better fate. The humans found us equally terrifying when we entered battle. The idea: no battle, no fear, and ultimately, no bounty.

            Each of us has a power deep within us – humans call it magic, we call to it as Allura. Allura is channeled through the body by concentrated movements and vocal evocation. In the earlier times of my people, a few simple movements could produce the desired affects; later generations, including my own, learned to produce more powerful elicitation of Allura by using song and heavier movements. The use of Allura produces a glow about our skin, as if the heavens had painted our bodies with the light of the stars in swirls and points. When used in battle, a war hymn would vibrate through the air; when used for recreation, it can be used to evaporate any anger or depression felt by those within range of our song.

            Allura has many uses. A small amount can be used to change appearances. A moderate amount can be used to heal simple wounds like burns, scrapes and cuts; a larger amount to heal more dire wounds like broken bones and lacerations.

            Each Auroran is born to an element. The mass majority of us are born to the element of earth. Plants and the dirt of the crust of our planet can be used to do any number of things from healing to building. Though there are significantly fewer of us, others are born to the element of fire and water. Those who are born to fire use their skills to control heat to craft metal pieces: weaponry, art, buildings. Those born to water make excellent healers above anything. Very few are born to the element of air; so few that their powers are practically unknown. I like to think that they make the best singers and performers, but I figure I am incorrect.

            In the beginning of the planet Aurora, it is said that each person was equal in their ability to us Allura. No one person was stronger than another. There are myths about a man, Seraph, who happened upon a stone that shone like diamond in the sunlight and burned like sapphire in the moonlight. Within this stone was a power that changed everything overnight. Come morning, Seraph found his black hair had turned a strange sapphire hue, his green eyes shimmering to the same color. The strength of Allura had also massively increased.

            What originally had three gates – or levels, so to speak – had now advanced as far as five.

            “I feel strange…” he had openly said, starring down at his hands. The markings of Allura flared in a strange new pattern that was foreign to him. It had felt as if liquid fire had been poured into his veins and was coursing throughout his body.

            Not wanting to cause panic, he hid the physical changes with a small amount of Allura. He later went on to take a wife and started a family. However, his secret was revealed when his first born child bore the same sapphire blue hair and eyes as he had the morning after finding the stone. There was a slight uproar about whether or not his wife had been faithful; to quash any rumors, he revealed his true hair and eye color. The stone was taken by a group of elders and hidden somewhere deep in the caves of Aurora, never to be found again.

            Seraph’s bloodline extended over a handful of generations without any issues until a pair of twins were born to his great granddaughter. The birth of twins was considered a miracle, and was thus celebrated. The children were raised just as any child would have been. When the two had celebrated their fourteenth birthday – the equivalent of seventeen years of a human.

            A new government system was being introduced in hopes to bring forth some kind of organization to their world before things became too hectic. An event was being held to choose who would be placed at the head of the government. The Aurorans had agreed that having the equivalent of a King or Queen would suffice – they would follow any who were deemed fit for the position. Gender and age were never an issue.

            The twins had decided they would try for the position. Both had grown up learning the history of their race and many other things and felt they both fit the position well. There was no issue with this decision; the two had agreed that they would be happy whether or not they won or lost.

            Half way through the event, one of the twin’s demeanor changed. Having never needed to compete for anything, rivalry had never occurred. Now that competition was present, the second born child no longer felt equal to his older brother, but his lesser counterpart. His brother knew more history stories than he did, had a better control of Allura, knew ancient chants and had a stronger voice. It was suddenly apparent which of them would be the loser.

            When the older twin had been accepted to the position as their King, the younger twin was seeing nothing but red and was severely unhappy with the results and called upon an ancient law of their people from the time of war.

            The law stated that if an Auroran felt wronged by another of their kind, they had the right to demand a trial of combat, and only those who were involved could enter the battlefield.

            The only way out was death.

            To spare the details, the twins were equally matched until one tapped into a reserve of power that was unheard of: the fourth and fifth gates of Allura only known to Seraph and his kin. This was the doing of the stone. Seraph’s true secret was revealed with the death of the weaker twin.

            Uproar ensued, resulting in a new law being implemented that stated whenever a set of twins was born to the ruling class they would be raised learning the history and politics of their planet and be trained in combat. When they reached the age of fourteen, they would be pitted against one another with the intent to be the last one standing..

            Whoever won would be deemed the legitimate heir to the throne.

            This is the law that my family has followed for generations. Seraph’s bloodline was passed along without issue, the power of the stone considered lost.

            As every story goes, I’m sure you can guess what happens next in this tale.

            I was born during the early spring on planet Aurora – what would have been late winter on Earth, as we had begun to import winter produce native to their planet. My brother was born twenty minutes later. My parents had been excited for the birth of their child and were surprised with twins. They had been eager to give their child a normal life, but with the birth of twins, the ancient law was to be upheld. To make matters worse, I had been born with sapphire blue hair and eyes.

            My brother was named Aryan, in hopes he would be a great warrior come the tournament. I was given the name Sirene, stemming from creatures called sirens, known for their beautiful voices and the gruesome tactics of murder. It was difficult to appreciate such a name growing up – being named after such a horrifying creature – but I guess I lived up to the name as I got older.

            My mother was bitter; she blamed not only her family for hiding the secret from her, but she placed a large portion of the blame on me for being born. She was expecting a bouncing baby boy and only that. Instead, she got my brother and me.

            My father, thankfully, loved both Aryan and me despite the ancient law’s ruling. And I will forever be thankful for his love.

            Aryan and I grew up enjoying one another’s company; we were friends for the longest time. We took history lessons together and learned about politics. We were trained to use Allura for combat and learned to design, create and produce weaponry, how to transform our bodies. When I had begun to excel in everything, I was praised by my professors and guardians. My brother slowly fell behind, and when word spread that he was the lesser twin, he began to harbor hatred. Our professors and guardians began to treat him as the lesser of our duo, making matters worse.

            My mother passed some odd months after my brother and I had celebrated our seventh year. Even to this day, I am unsure of the full story; I do know that she was put to death for treason against the crown. Some tell me she was caught bargaining with a third party to put a bounty on my father and me. Her last words: “That bitch deserves to be put to death.” That bitch being me.

            After this event, my father would often tell me he wished he had never married into the ruling family so my brother and I would never have to go through with the ancient law, and how he had wanted to give us a normal life. Perhaps it was because of the way my mother had treated me, but I could never help but feel the events were my own fault.

            My father regretted everything.

            If I had never been born, all these events could have been avoided.

            It became apparent to me that my father treasured me slightly more than my brother. I would assume it was because I was the spitting image of my mother – whom, despite everything, he had loved – but I would often worry it was because I was showing promise as becoming next in line to rule.

            I remember Aryan and me fighting very rarely; in fact there is only one instance I can recall where Aryan had lashed out against me physically. There are many more instances of seething remarks, anger and yelling: “I hate you!”

            “I hope you die!”

            The only phrase that managed to affect me was “You’re just like mother.”

            Physical fighting was not permitted off the battlefield. I feared they worried he would attempt to kill me before the appropriate time came; what I feared more was they would likely not stop me if I were to ever launch myself at him. And despite every venomous phrase my brother threw at me, I never acted on my anger.

            I saw no reason to.

            By the time we began our military training, I had grown accustomed to the rivalry between my brother and I, had grown accustomed to ignoring his sneers, his anger, his hatred. Men from The Legion were brought in to train us to be just like them.

            When our fourteenth year arrived, I grew wary of what lay ahead. The air was tense everywhere I traveled in preparation for the upcoming tournament. By now, my brother had become known as one of the most brutal of warriors, living up to his name. Many claimed I had grown into at least a portion of mine, telling me I was blossoming into a beautiful woman – these compliments held no appeal for me; I was entering a battlefield I did not wish to step foot on; beauty had no appeal here.

            In the end, it came down to where Aryan was one fatal blow away from death. I remember very little of what thoughts crossed my mind, but what stood out to me was how ridiculous this whole thing was. Fourteen years of my life, dedicated to learning to be a murderer.

            Simply because my brother was born.

            Aryan and I had never asked to be born, especially as twins, so why must we be punished? Why did only one of us deserve to live?

            I backed away from my brother. “Keep fighting.” The demand echoed across the battlefield.

            “I refuse.” I called back before explaining my theory. The people of Aurora agreed, and the decision was made. I had done what no other before me had.

            Mercy.

            And just like that, it had seemed that decision was my very undoing.

            Many considered my choice to allow my brother to live noble; other’s believed me insane. My brother, who I figured would be grateful his life was spared, felt the exact opposite. At the time of the decision, I was only considering his wellbeing. He was my brother, and I did not harbor the desire to have his blood on my hands. I did not, however, consider the consequences of my decision.

            Aryan suffered from darkness that was slowly consuming him. He was the underdog, the man who was spared; many told him he should be thankful I had granted him the courtesy of a second chance. It did nothing to ebb the hatred he felt.

            After two full years of ruling, there came a night where my father’s life was taken and an attempt was made on my own life. The night itself was a blur, but by some strange miracle, a fellow friend and guardian of mine had given his life in exchange for mine and I escaped from Aurora. My planet thought me dead.

            The first year was the hardest; finding work on a planet that you do not know as home is never easy. Surviving was harder. By the second year, things were set in place. Prostitution was easy for an exotic girl with blue eyes and hair. Men would pay top dollar to have me for a few hours…they never asked about the scars or tattoos that marred my body; they did not care.

            I feared that my brother would not be kind to Aurora and her people.

            But there was nothing I could do.

            After celebrating my eighteenth Auroran year I found myself in a strange situation: being recruited by The Alliance. They raided the prostitution ring searching for a princess; I fought alongside them; from there I was invited to join their ranks. I learned new languages, met different species including a Hysorian male about my age – Vic was his name, humans and a group of Meterans, known for their medicinal arts. For a short while, I kept my blue hair tied up, afraid to attract attention to myself and give away my true identity as the Auroran Queen. I had no reason to want to share it.

            My planet thought me dead; there was no point.

            Six years later, Aryan learned I survived and sent a small group of men from The Legion to take me out, once and for all.

            When the battle was over, there was no hiding what I was to The Alliance.

            Rather than casting me aside for hiding, they welcomed me deeper into their lives, understanding what I was trying to protect.

            I had a fight with Vic shortly after my social standing was revealed. “You’re a Queen.” He spat, venom on his tongue. “You lied! To us. To me. You act as if you’ve experienced the same harsh reality we all have and you grew up pampered.” The other members of the Alliance stood behind their Hysorian brother, watching me. Waiting.

            “Yes…” I whispered, “I may be a Queen, but do not assume it meant I was pampered.” I felt my teeth grinding together, a dull ache settling in my jaw, “I was trained, from the minute I could walk on my own, to be merciless, cold-blooded. A murderer. All because some piece of paper says I have to slaughter my own brother.”

            My eyes stung, tears lining them as memories of pain and anger flooded my system.

            “I didn’t ask to be born!” I screamed suddenly. “So don’t you dare judge my social standing when you haven’t a damn clue what it entails.” I felt a burning sensation tingle up my spine. Allura was spiking with my emotions.

            That day I tightened the chain on my emotions in fear of losing control.

            Vic and I began a relationship shortly after our little spat. His reasoning for being upset: he was falling for me and he felt like he had been duped. After spending a night with him and discussing my childhood. He made love to me; never had someone been so gentle, so kind.

            For the first time in what had felt like centuries: I cried.

            And someone kissed away the tears.

            When I had left Aurora, I did not feel anger or hatred for my brother. A part of me understood why he was angry and why he wanted me gone. I suspected had I been placed in the same position as he, I may have taken the same actions. However, returning to Aurora after many long years, I felt the first initial spark of anger towards Aryan.

            No more was there the resilient colors Aurora was known for – the pink and silver clouds were blackened from pollution, the green earth browned from lack of care, and the slate blue waters had turned green and clouded. When the craft landed, the initial feeling in the air drove me mad. The planet physically felt ill under my feet, the air foul and tense.

            This was wrong!                                                             

            For the first time I could remember, I had acted upon my anger and stormed the building in which I had once called home. I cannot recall how many soldiers I tore through with The Alliance rushing close behind me. The sound of splintering wood as I kicked open the doors still rings in my ears even now.

            “Aryan!” My lungs burned as I bellowed. I felt the air tense around me, the gasps escaping lips of those who thought me dead. If the small portion of my humanity had not still been in tact by the time I found my brother I probably would have pounced on him and tore his throat out right there, no matter the legal consequences.

            When Aryan disregarded my demand for a rematch, my fist went through the wall next to his head. “REMATCH.” I snarled. The guards who attempted to restrain me were tossed aside like they were weightless.

            I was sane enough to continue demanding a rematch.

            Finally, Aryan gave in and we took our places on the battlefield. Fists were bloodied, weapons were summoned and broken one by one as we came at one another with all we had with the intention of tearing the other apart. With a wild roar I released myself into the fourth gate, my whole body coming alive and glowing with the swirls of Allura. Aryan did the same, smiling wickedly, the excitement of battle taking over.

            There was only one way for me to finish on top: releasing the fifth gate.

            I will never forget the snapping and tearing of flesh and bone as my body transformed; large black and blue feathered wings stretched across the battle field. Slick, black armored pieces sliced through the skin of my arms and back and legs. Fingernails elongated into claws, teeth into sickening fangs.

            Now, as I stand opposite of my brother, the both of us battered and bloodied from fighting, I ask myself: am I truly ready to follow through with what I could not all those years ago? Despite everything he had done, Aryan was still my brother. It would be difficult – the hardest thing I will probably ever do – but I had to follow through, if not for myself, then for Aurora. She and her people had suffered enough.

            It is here, breathing heavy as I make my decision to follow through with what I had set in motion.

            The movement is too quick to be seen by normal eyes, but I know that Aryan saw it coming miles away. I will never forget the sound of armored claws ripping through his torso; nor will I forget the words he sweetly whispered to me with tears streaming down his face.

            “I’m sorry, sister…”

            I collapsed to my knees, allowing the five gates to close. It was here that I realized that my story was no ending. Oh no.

            It was only the beginning. 

Favorite Epigraph

"Sometimes I can feel my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living."
-Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

It was this quote that made me pick up Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

My Epigraph from The Great Gatsby

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'"
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

"How nice--to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive." - Kurt Vonnegut